How To Deal With a Hit-and-Run Accident
- 1). Get as much information about the offender as you can. If you can get the make and model of the car, that would really help authorities track who hit you. Also, if you can get the color of your car is very important to help insurance adjusters determine how much damage was caused by this particular vehicle.
- 2). Call the police. Not only this is important in case the offender is caught, but your insurance policy will require you to file any hit-and-run accident if you are seeking coverage under your policy.
- 3). File a police report. Calling the police is not enough. Your policy requires you to file an actual report, which can be done one of two ways. Either the police come out and take all the required information or you can go to the closest police station and file a walk-in report. This is important because in certain situations, the police will not come out to the accident scene, but the requirement of filing is still required by insurance.
- 4). File a claim with your insurance company. Give as much detail as you can about the hit-and-run accident. Ask your insurance adjuster about your coverages. To get your damages paid for, you must carry either collision and/or uninsured property damage coverage. Both coverages have different requirements and different deductibles, so this is a good opportunity to ask for a detailed explanation of they apply on your specific accident.
- 5). Wait. Most auto insurance polices will make you wait up to 24 hours before they will give you a rental car. They want to see if the responsible party is caught or shows up; then you would have to file a claim against that person with their insurance company. This is true if you are seeking coverage under your uninsured property damage, and you would not have to wait if you carry rental coverage in your policy.
- 6). Get an estimate of repairs. Ask the insurance company for the names and numbers of certified shops in your area. This way, you can drive in and have an estimate of repairs that the insurance company will use to issue payment for your damages. You could also wait for an adjuster to come and see your vehicle, but this may take up to five days.
- 7). Get your car fixed. You can either take the car to the same certified shop you did for the estimate or, if you do not want to go to that specific shop, then make sure you show your mechanic the estimate the insurance company is using to adjust your claim. If your mechanic does not agree with the value or the amount of damages, have him/her contact the insurance adjuster directly so they can settle on payment.
Source...